The Man From Nevis Lives On 214 Years Later

NEW YORK, NY. - Every January and July, for more than a decade now, head of the Bowling Green Association of NY, Arthur Piccolo, has gathered a group of people at the gravesite of the U.S.’ Nevis-born Founding Father and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to mark his birth and death anniversary.

Each time, whether cold or heat, a wreath is laid and the dozen or so gathered say a few words in remembrance. One year, thanks to the visit of News Americas founder, Felicia J. Persaud, to Nevis, earth from Hamilton’s birthplace in Charlestown, where the Hamilton Museum now sits, was brought back to New York and poured out at the gravesite as Jamaican-born Rev., Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones of Trinity Wall Street, said a blessing.

This July, marking another Hamilton birthday continued, exactly 214 years after his death. But this year, as it has since 2015, there is a special excitement in the celebration as Hamilton seems to be ‘alive’ again as his legacy lives on and continues to shine.

This week, the Kennedy Center announced the co-creators of ‘Hamilton,’ the musical on the life of the Caribbean-born, U.S. Statesman will be among the 2018 honors.

The Center will honor ‘Hamilton’ writer and actor, Lin-Manuel Miranda; director Thomas Kail; choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and music director Alex Lacamoire with a unique Kennedy Center Honors as trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category at the 41st annual national celebration of the arts on December 2nd in D.C.

‘Hamilton’ will be honored along with singer and actress Cher, composer and pianist Philip Glass, Country music entertainer Reba McEntire, and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter.

The Honors Gala will be recorded for broadcast on the CBS Network for the 41st consecutive year as a two-hour primetime special on Wednesday, December 26th at 8 p.m. ET.

The news come as the Wall Street Journal this week reported that “Hamilton,” exactly as audiences saw it on Broadway, may be coming to movie theaters.

WSJ says Hollywood studios are currently bidding for the big-screen rights to Miranda’s hit musical about the immigrant founding father, which could sell for more than $50 million.

‘Hamilton,’ the musical has grossed nearly $400 million in New York since opening in 2015, according to Broadway World. It has won 11 Tony Awards, including best musical, as well as a Grammy and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It now plays in Chicago and London and a U.S. tour began last year.

Proving, undoubtedly that more than two centuries later, there is no stopping the Caribbean-born undocumented immigrant, Alexander Hamilton.